I hope you're all off to a great start. We've certainly hit the ground running here. The turning of the calendar always brings new and exciting work in each of our major program areas. In 2011, this means expanding our work with farmers in Oregon and Washington, improving our online tools for activists and practitioners, and ramping up our legal push to better protect endangered fish from toxic pesticides. Additionally, we are planning for some very exciting events next fall...but that's all I'll say for now.

In this issue, you'll find 3 new videos detailing organic and alternative strategies for landscape and turf care, registration info for the 2011 Grower's Own Conference, and an update on our work to promote IPM in public housing. You'll also find our first Supporter Spotlight, where we highlight outstanding activists and NCAP members. Finally, you'll find two petitions urging policymakers to defend bees from dangerous neonicotinoid pesticides. Please add your name to those.

Be sure also to check out the fun new ways you can support NCAP this winter...one of them could land you a free ski trip!

The staff and board thanks you for your strong support in 2010. We're looking forward to another great year, working together to protect people and the environment in new and inspiring ways.

NCAP's Sustainable Parks Information Network (SPIN) is an online professional network offering resources and collaborative tools for reducing pesticide use in parks and other public spaces. This month, three new educational videos were added to the SPIN library to demonstrate organic and alternative practices in action:

1. Dandelions, Pesticides and Soil Health: Lindsay Schramm describes the conditions that lead to dandelion growth, explains why pesticides are not a long term solution for weeds, and provides tips for maintaining healthy, active soil.

2. Organic Turf Care 101: Lindsay Schramm covers the basics of keeping healthy turf. This includes how to water properly, when and why to mow, and what your turf needs to get the most out of the nutrients you're putting down.

3. Native and Low-maintenance Landscapes: Diane Jones from Draggin' Wing Farm describes the advantages of landscaping with native and high performance plants, including how to minimize weed growth with ground cover.

You don't have to be a SPIN member to access the material there, so stop by the site to check these out and see our other multimedia resources.

If you work in a park, school, housing complex, or any urban area where pesticides are commonly used, consider joining us on SPIN to connect with peers from your field and learn innovative strategies for pesticide reduction.

At the Grower's Own Conference, the farmers are the experts. They are a wealth of knowledge and experience. So that's why Grower's Own is focused entirely on you: the farmer.

This year's conference will bring together Idaho farmers for a sharing of experiences, the successes and the challenges. Join us and ask your questions about new varieties, potting soil sources, preventative weed control, deer fences, beneficial insect planting, and much, much more!

Next month NCAP and our allies at the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP), and Oregon State University Extension will start a process to ensure healthier living for thousands of Portland families that rely upon low-income housing services. Starting with an evaluation, we’ll kick off an effort to further improve HAP’s pest management practices...which are already pretty good.

HAP is being recognized around the country for its effective management of bed bugs. Clearly, the Housing Authority of Portland is dedicated to providing safe housing to people that need a place to live. NCAP will bring to the table new methods for responsibly managing bed bugs while also reducing pesticide use.

Supporting a cause you believe in has its own rewards, but we know that extra incentives are nice too. They're also a fun way for us to say thanks. So...

We're giving away two lift tickets to Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort to the person who wins our online giving raffle. These are valued at $140.00 (thanks Mt. Bachelor!) and are valid for any non-holiday between now and May 30.

Enter to win by donating at least $25.00 online by Feb. 28. The winner will be announced the following day.

We deeply appreciate everyone who supports our work, but some supporters deserve special recognition for the longtime commitment they've made to pesticide reform. Jean Cameron is one of those people.

Jean began her affiliation with NCAP in 1985. While working on a degree in environmental management from the University of Oregon, she took an internship with Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) to study IPM policy in collaboration with NCAP. Understanding the need to replace pesticides with environmentally sound alternatives, and knowing much about how to do it, Jean soon joined NCAP's board of directors.

In the early 1990s, Jean and OEC worked with NCAP to help pass Oregon's original IPM bill, creating IPM programs for state agencies as a way of reducing the pesticides used on state managed lands. Since moving to the Oregon Coast in 2001, she has been serving on her local water district board and working with West Coast state environmental agencies to develop policies for dealing with oil spills.

Jean returned to NCAP's board as secretary in the early 2000s, and then served as board president from 2003 to 2007 before “retiring” to focus on other environmental policy work.

Currently, Jean says she's as motivated as ever when it comes to protecting kids and the environment from toxic pesticides. She remains a strong supporter of NCAP's work, and has plans to pursue estuary protections and address roadside spraying near her seaside community.

The Ladybug Lovely: A Lovely Way to Support NCAP

Ladybugs are a great way to defend against invading aphids in your garden. They are a powerful force in reducing the use of pesticides. The same is true for members of NCAP’s Ladybug Lovely.

The Ladybug Lovely is made up of a special group of members that agree to make on-going credit card or electronic fund transfer donations on a monthly basis to help advance alternatives to pesticides and reduce pesticide use. It is the backbone of our support because it provides us with a dependable source of revenue which will enable NCAP to work harder to protect the health of people and the environment.

A tax-deductible gift in the amount you specify will be automatically charged to your credit card or taken from your bank account each month.

A record of your gifts will appear on your credit card or bank statement each month.

You will not receive additional fundraising appeals.

You will still receive timely emails and action alerts, including the NCAP Action News.

Your membership will be automatically renewed each year.

You can help NCAP protect the health of people and the environment every day!

Joining the Ladybug Lovely and getting your sign is easy -

Call 541-344-5044 ext.15!

January 2011 Issue

Letter from the Director

Alternatives in Action

Grower's Own Conference

IPM in Public Housing

Ski Mt. Bachelor

Supporter Spotlight

Ladybug Lovely

Take Action: Save Bees

You know they're bad. We know they're bad. Even the EPA knows they're bad. Yet neonicotinoid pesticides, like Clothianidin, remain in widespread use due to industry pressure and unsound science.

With mounting evidence that neonicotinoids are linked to bee die offs (Germany, France and Italy have banned them for this reason), people all over the globe are calling for an end to the use of these particularly nasty chemicals.

Yes, Buffalo Exchange will be supporting NCAP by accepting in-store donations from January through June 2011.

How does it work? Through their Tokens for Bags program, Buffalo Exchange awards a five cent token to those customers who opt out of plastic bags at check out. For the first half of 2011, you can tell your cashier that you'd like to donate your token to NCAP!

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Join NCAP today and add your voice to the pesticide reform movement. Your tax-deductible donation will help protect the health of people and the environment!